City Manager

Ms. Teresa Wilson

As a municipal trailblazer, City Manager Teresa Wilson leads the executive team for South Carolina’s capital city. Columbia is a fast-paced city that is growing and developing on a daily basis, but City Manager Teresa Wilson is up to the task and she is focused on taking the city’s operations to the next level. On a daily basis, she works diligently to address the needs of residents in the community, while also focusing on public safety and economic development initiatives. Teresa Wilson is a proven leader and has hands on experience working with the business community to develop projects that will be catalysts for future economic growth.

Prior to her role as Columbia’s chief executive officer, Wilson served in various professional capacities including her role as the Government and Community Relations Coordinator for the University of South Carolina’s Office of the President. When she transitioned into municipal government, Wilson served as the Chief Lobbyist and Director of Governmental Affairs for the City of Columbia. She was later named the City of Columbia’s Assistant City Manager for Community Programs, Economic Development and Government Services. Wilson's leadership was key in a number of groundbreaking initiatives including transforming Columbia's Community Development department into a nationally recognized model organization and reducing the city's Commercial Revolving Loan Fund's default rate from 29% to 4% in just one fiscal year.

She and her team led Downtown dramatic rebirth through projects like the highly successful 2012 Facade Grant Program which leveraged roughly $425,000 in federal CDBG funds to create over $6.1 million in private Downtown investment and, working with departments across the city, she has helped supplement vital services like public safety by securing tens of millions in grant dollars.

Wilson’s experience has provided her with a special understanding of how economic development impacts the financial stability of the community through job creation, support of the local economy and a myriad of emerging business ventures.

City Manager Teresa Wilson’s business and management philosophy is focused on the “Build Columbia” strategic framework, which emphasizes the need to “Run, Grow and Transform” our city in an efficient and effective manner in order to yield a productive business and financial model for the City of Columbia’s operations. During her tenure as Columbia’s City Manager, she has implemented and overseen numerous initiatives that are focused on making the city more efficient and more effective for citizens and business owners.

Enhancing the quality of life in Columbia is a primary focus for City Manager Wilson and her commitment was aptly displayed during the process to identify and select a strong leader to transform the Columbia Police Department. Public safety, which includes fire protection and emergency services, is at the core of not only the stability of neighborhoods, but also the continued success of the business community. Code enforcement operations have also been merged into the police department to solidify the process for maintaining clean, safe communities and hospitality districts.

In addition, Wilson hired the City of Columbia’s first official Chief Financial Officer in order to
assure that the fiscal foundation of the city remains strong and continues to sustain the multiple
services that are critical to taxpayers. This important hire has yielded a 2014 Government
Finance Officers Association award, which is an accomplishment that has not been bestowed on
Columbia for almost a decade.

To date Wilson’s leadership has yielded the creation of a business liaison function within the
Economic Development Department in order to enhance communications and relationships with
current and potential business partners on a local, regional and national basis. The focus on
business retention has also been elevated through the development of a business retention plan
that includes collaborations with leaders from various business districts. Her focus on
community development has been equally beneficial and has resulted in new homes being built
in various Columbia neighborhoods, while also offering competitive loans for new homeowners.
Wilson believes that renewing and revitalizing neighborhoods is the platform for strengthening
the community as a whole.

While maintaining a balance among her priorities is important, Wilson has not abandoned the
value of direct communications with Columbia’s citizens. She takes pride in attending
community meetings, speaking at public functions, serving as a mentor to youth and addressing
the needs of residents with a hands-on approach.

Her leadership of the City of Columbia was never more evident than during the historic flood of
October 2015. The entire city rallied together and implemented operations on a 24 hour basis in
order to meet the needs of citizens who were in dire straits. The catastrophic path of the flood
impacted all areas within the city limits and even though resources were stretched to the
maximum level, the strong leadership of management met the needs of residents in a heroic way.

On a personal basis, City Manager Teresa Wilson believes in servant leadership and
collaboration. She partners and encourages her staff to collaborate with Midlands area
governments, as well as colleges and universities, and many local organizations including the
Columbia Urban League, the Homebuilders Association, the Chamber of Commerce,
neighborhood and hospitality associations and a host of others. Wilson has also completed the
Senior Executive Institute at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business and is an
active member of ICMA, the International City/County Management Association.
Wilson is a member of Gethsemane Baptist Church, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Junior
League and the Columbia Chapter of Jack & Jill of America. She has received numerous
accolades, including being named one of Columbia's 2008 "Top 20 Under 40" Business
Professionals, one of Columbia Business Monthly's "50 Most Influential People in 2011 and
2016" and one of Southeast Small Business Magazine's "Top Women of Influence".

City Manager Teresa Wilson is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Steve and Teresa H. Wilson, and
the proud mother of a daughter, Teresa Alexandria "Alex" Florence. Wilson recently became
engaged to Mr. William Reginald Brice.